Top 5 Cool Face Fil­ter Apps for Instagram

20 Feb 2019

With a billion monthly active users, Instagram is one of the most-used and loved social media platforms out there. With cool stickers & animated GIFs to Portrait mode and Face Filters, you can do a lot.

Ever since Instagram launched the AR-based face filters in 2017, the company continues to add camera effects regularly. There is a swath of camera effects at present, and these should be more than enough for most users. But is it really the case?

If you are dabbling with the thought of getting filter apps for Instagram on your iPhone or Android-based phone, luckily there are quite a few cool apps that let you do just that.

With these, not only will you be able to try on a bunch of different looks but also have fun at the same time.

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1. B612 Selfie Camera

The B612 Selfie Camera app barely needs an introduction. This app is known for its massive archive of customizable filters and beauty modes. Another feature that pushes the B612 app in the popularity chart is its vast collection of AR Stickers aka face filters that come in many shapes, sizes, and forms.

From adorable cat ears to glasses in crazy neon shades, it packs a punch. You can either use them in videos or on still images, depending on your choice. But before you do that, keep in mind to download them while you are connected to the internet.

Once done, download the media items and share them on Instagram, with a fair bit of editing thrown in. After all, who posts a picture that’s not been edited?

2. YouCam Fun

The entire suite of YouCam apps are pretty neat, and YouCam Fun is no different. It bundles a diverse range of theme-based AR face filters that are both fun and entertaining.

Once you open the app, a default set of filters will be displayed. All you need to do is tap on the thumbnail to see the effects. However, if you're unimpressed by the default ones, hit the little face icon at the lower-right corner to launch the whole collection.

I found some of the filters to be a bit gaudy for my taste, but then there are equally adorable and unique stickers to make up for them. Aside from that, the app lets you tweak the settings as per your liking.

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3. Camera 360

Camera 360, which is mainly known for its art filters and beauty effects, has another side to it — AR face filters with music. Other than that, you can choose to create sticker collages or change your voice when you record videos. Seriously, no kidding.

All you need to do is find the right sticker. A grid in the thumbnail indicates a collage, whereas a music icon denotes a music sticker.

The app packs stickers with artistic effects and banners. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come with pre-downloaded stickers. On the upside, all the stickers are arranged into categories, thus keeping the interface clean and tidy.

Apart from the above, there are a host of other features that add to the experience, such as Timer, Night shot, Blur, and Vignette. Another plus point is you can adjust the beauty levels and makeup.

4. Snow

With a plethora of stickers and added features, Snow follows the same order as the apps above. The point where it differs from the rest is that most of the stickers come with 3-4 variations.

So, if you happened to like a film strip, you can switch between classic B&W, brown or the red.

Do note that the variations are not available for all the stickers. What I loved about this app is its customizable portrait mode. It will pop up right after you capture a photo, and you'd just need to drag the slider to adjust the background blur.

As far as permissions are concerned, Snow asks for Storage, Microphone, and Camera permissions.

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5. Banuba

Last but not least, we have the Banuba app. Compared to the ones above, it doesn’t have many free filters. You have to upgrade to the pro version to unlock the whole collection, or you have to wait for a few hours to unlock additional effects. Yeah, just like in games.

The reason why it found its way to this list is that the filters are unique and different from the rest.

My only gripe about this app is it that the makers can collect and analyze your facial data if you agree to the privacy policy.

Say Cheese!

These days, most stock camera apps on Android support a number of AR stickers and face filters. But as expected, you get a limited choice. Combine these apps with the latest brand filters from Instagram, and rest assured that your Insta feed will be a unique one.

Next up: Did you know you can add animated text in your Instagram stories? Follow our guide for sprucing your stories and post in the best possible way.

Last updated on 21 Feb, 2019
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Written By

Namrata loves writing about products and gadgets. She has been working for Guiding Tech since 2017 and has around three years of experience writing features, how-tos, buying guides, and explainers. Previously she worked as an IT Analyst at TCS, but she found her calling elsewhere.